My EDC Story - Victorinox Combo Tool Story
This is kind of two stories in one.
Although just like any boy I was fascinated with knives - but never actually considered carrying one on an everyday basis.
I tried carrying a few pocket knives - but after reading some article where the author broke the tip off of his custom knife when tightening a screw on his gun, I decided that the knife I carry should have a screwdriver. This really left me with SAKs, and the fact that they had corkscrews was a real bonus.
After talking it over with friends it seemed the concensus was that Victorinox was better - and anyway they were more available - so I went to my local hardware store where I knew they sold SAKs.
I was shown the Spartan and a budget line Waiter models -
Spartan
my(budget) Waiter EDC Jan/1982 - Feb/1988 (printed logo worn off)
what immediately caught my attention on the Waiter was the Combo or combination tool that had the function of screwdriver, can-opener, cap-lifter and wire stripper all in one -
and it could replace the two separate can-opener and cap-lifter tools on the Spartan model - yes, one loses the small blade, but basically one could have all the functionality of the Spartan model with one backspring less. Even better the Waiter (budget-line, no tools in the handle) was considerably cheaper - so I bought it - that was Jan/1982......
Having a screwdriver on me was a real boon - especially when you have a car that was not partcularly reliable. The corkscrew was a hit at parties, as was the bottle cap-lifter.
During my EDC I learnt that the red Cellidor handles get scratched easily, so I figured out that one could use car polish to bring back the shine on the handles. Metal polish or rubbing compound could minimize deeper scratches (that's why that old budget Waiter has handles that look pretty good). Although I could make the handles shiney again - the cheaper press-in silver printed logo would wear out - whereas the full-priced Vic SAKs had embedded metal logos.
So I remained quite happy with that EDC for almost 6 years, until I saw the Scientist model around Christmas 1987 and thought that it would be nice to add a Phillips screwdriver to my EDC - but could I live with one backspring more? The magnifying glass seemed superfluous - was there a model that had another tool in place of the that?
I took away a brochure and on further study I realized the Scientist had a ballpoint pen in the handle - WoW! I needed that!
But I still procrastinated and vacillated about the magnifying glass - was there a model that had another tool?
Took me about a month to figure out that Victorinox SAKs often paired up tools. The in handle Phillips driver was always paired with the magnifying glass. So if I wanted the Phillips driver and retaining the corkscrew - I was going to have to accept the magnifying glass. Once that was clear to me - I acquired a Scientist in Feb/1988.
The Scientist also had the Combo tool which I was glad of for all the reasons above - but the added Phillips driver was great I was able to use it on almost all Phillips headed screws - it just seemed to fit all sizes.
I then discovered a feature - the Phillips driver had a squared tang that allowed me to use it at right angles (90degs) to the handle for more torque and straight in-line for better access and quicker turning......... and the Combo tool worked that way too - didn't I already know that?** Later.......
I had also figure out from my previous experience of how easily the red cellidor handles marred that I could carry the knife in a pouch - so I made one out of car wash chamoise leather.
My second Scientist EDC Oct/1989 - Feb/1993 (shown with well worn home made chamoise leather pouch)
During late August 1989 up in Connecticut by a park lake- I used the jeweller's driver to tighten sunglasses, and that was the last I recall seeing that Scientist, because when I got home, miles away, I couldn't find the knife - so I must have misplaced or dropped it. Sob.....
I did honestly try to live without a Scientist EDC - but it lasted only a short time. However, I still had the agony of waiting as the model was not easily available so I had to order it and pay full retail. But by Oct/1989 with my second Scientist I was whole again.
Fast forward to 1992 - I saw in Ken Warner's Knives 'XX book (probably 92) some photos of some stunning stag handled SAKs by a customizer KJ Lewis of South Carolina. When I read the notes they were actually Micarta scored to look like stag - even better. But I couldn't see any tools in the handle........
Eventually I phoned KJ and talked to him about the customization and asked if he inlet the tools in the handle. No, he didn't. That ballpoint pen in the handle was important to me, so KJ and I discussed the possibilities and the subtlties of the tools in thehandles - as I found quite by accident that the toothpick for example depended on the scales flexing. One day I saw the handles move when I extracted the toothpick - and thought I had found a fault - so I pinched the handles together and tried to replace/insert the toothpick and it would not go in until I eased up on the pressure - ah-ha! the light bulb goes on.
KJ accepted the challange of putting the tools in the handles.
In Feb/1993 I received my modified Scientist with tools in the handle - that was KJ's first.
Custom Scientist EDC Feb/1993 - present (with SackUp pouch).
This customized Scientist has been my EDC since then.
and of course with creeping age that magnifying glass is no longer superfluous and now a very used tool.
So where's the Combo Tool story - other than being a common tool on my EDCs?
I was sent photocopies of an old Victorinox catalog -
and no where in that catalog was a combo tool -
eg: these models only had the standard screwdriver cap-lifter tool:
so perhaps that was before the combo tool was available - so that catalog had to be 1981 or before - since my budget Waiter (above) had one and that was Jan/1982.
Then I dug out my 21+years old budget Waiter and noticed the Combo tool did not have a squared tang so there wasn't the deliberate design to use it at right angles to the handle......
Not only that, the shape of that Combo Tool was different - look at the photos of the Waiter and the Scientist(s) again...... so maybe I didn't already know that afterall** .
Checking the older catalogs I had, I saw only the current combo tool shape - in all except the Forschner catalog I got circa 1987/8 -
it showed both shapes of the combo tools -
Older Combo Tool Shape on the Waiter and Golfer models:
Compared to the Combo Tool shape on the Scientist in the same catalog:
so perhaps that was the transition period for the combo tool.
There, two stories in one - my facination for the Victorinox Combo tool for my EDCs and a discovery over 20 years later that I didn't know it at all..........
--
Vincent
http://UnknownVincent.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVT.cjb.net/
This is kind of two stories in one.
Although just like any boy I was fascinated with knives - but never actually considered carrying one on an everyday basis.
I tried carrying a few pocket knives - but after reading some article where the author broke the tip off of his custom knife when tightening a screw on his gun, I decided that the knife I carry should have a screwdriver. This really left me with SAKs, and the fact that they had corkscrews was a real bonus.
After talking it over with friends it seemed the concensus was that Victorinox was better - and anyway they were more available - so I went to my local hardware store where I knew they sold SAKs.
I was shown the Spartan and a budget line Waiter models -
Spartan
my(budget) Waiter EDC Jan/1982 - Feb/1988 (printed logo worn off)
what immediately caught my attention on the Waiter was the Combo or combination tool that had the function of screwdriver, can-opener, cap-lifter and wire stripper all in one -
and it could replace the two separate can-opener and cap-lifter tools on the Spartan model - yes, one loses the small blade, but basically one could have all the functionality of the Spartan model with one backspring less. Even better the Waiter (budget-line, no tools in the handle) was considerably cheaper - so I bought it - that was Jan/1982......
Having a screwdriver on me was a real boon - especially when you have a car that was not partcularly reliable. The corkscrew was a hit at parties, as was the bottle cap-lifter.
During my EDC I learnt that the red Cellidor handles get scratched easily, so I figured out that one could use car polish to bring back the shine on the handles. Metal polish or rubbing compound could minimize deeper scratches (that's why that old budget Waiter has handles that look pretty good). Although I could make the handles shiney again - the cheaper press-in silver printed logo would wear out - whereas the full-priced Vic SAKs had embedded metal logos.
So I remained quite happy with that EDC for almost 6 years, until I saw the Scientist model around Christmas 1987 and thought that it would be nice to add a Phillips screwdriver to my EDC - but could I live with one backspring more? The magnifying glass seemed superfluous - was there a model that had another tool in place of the that?
I took away a brochure and on further study I realized the Scientist had a ballpoint pen in the handle - WoW! I needed that!
But I still procrastinated and vacillated about the magnifying glass - was there a model that had another tool?
Took me about a month to figure out that Victorinox SAKs often paired up tools. The in handle Phillips driver was always paired with the magnifying glass. So if I wanted the Phillips driver and retaining the corkscrew - I was going to have to accept the magnifying glass. Once that was clear to me - I acquired a Scientist in Feb/1988.
The Scientist also had the Combo tool which I was glad of for all the reasons above - but the added Phillips driver was great I was able to use it on almost all Phillips headed screws - it just seemed to fit all sizes.
I then discovered a feature - the Phillips driver had a squared tang that allowed me to use it at right angles (90degs) to the handle for more torque and straight in-line for better access and quicker turning......... and the Combo tool worked that way too - didn't I already know that?** Later.......
I had also figure out from my previous experience of how easily the red cellidor handles marred that I could carry the knife in a pouch - so I made one out of car wash chamoise leather.
My second Scientist EDC Oct/1989 - Feb/1993 (shown with well worn home made chamoise leather pouch)
During late August 1989 up in Connecticut by a park lake- I used the jeweller's driver to tighten sunglasses, and that was the last I recall seeing that Scientist, because when I got home, miles away, I couldn't find the knife - so I must have misplaced or dropped it. Sob.....
I did honestly try to live without a Scientist EDC - but it lasted only a short time. However, I still had the agony of waiting as the model was not easily available so I had to order it and pay full retail. But by Oct/1989 with my second Scientist I was whole again.
Fast forward to 1992 - I saw in Ken Warner's Knives 'XX book (probably 92) some photos of some stunning stag handled SAKs by a customizer KJ Lewis of South Carolina. When I read the notes they were actually Micarta scored to look like stag - even better. But I couldn't see any tools in the handle........
Eventually I phoned KJ and talked to him about the customization and asked if he inlet the tools in the handle. No, he didn't. That ballpoint pen in the handle was important to me, so KJ and I discussed the possibilities and the subtlties of the tools in thehandles - as I found quite by accident that the toothpick for example depended on the scales flexing. One day I saw the handles move when I extracted the toothpick - and thought I had found a fault - so I pinched the handles together and tried to replace/insert the toothpick and it would not go in until I eased up on the pressure - ah-ha! the light bulb goes on.
KJ accepted the challange of putting the tools in the handles.
In Feb/1993 I received my modified Scientist with tools in the handle - that was KJ's first.
Custom Scientist EDC Feb/1993 - present (with SackUp pouch).
This customized Scientist has been my EDC since then.
and of course with creeping age that magnifying glass is no longer superfluous and now a very used tool.
So where's the Combo Tool story - other than being a common tool on my EDCs?
I was sent photocopies of an old Victorinox catalog -
and no where in that catalog was a combo tool -
eg: these models only had the standard screwdriver cap-lifter tool:
so perhaps that was before the combo tool was available - so that catalog had to be 1981 or before - since my budget Waiter (above) had one and that was Jan/1982.
Then I dug out my 21+years old budget Waiter and noticed the Combo tool did not have a squared tang so there wasn't the deliberate design to use it at right angles to the handle......
Not only that, the shape of that Combo Tool was different - look at the photos of the Waiter and the Scientist(s) again...... so maybe I didn't already know that afterall** .
Checking the older catalogs I had, I saw only the current combo tool shape - in all except the Forschner catalog I got circa 1987/8 -
it showed both shapes of the combo tools -
Older Combo Tool Shape on the Waiter and Golfer models:
Compared to the Combo Tool shape on the Scientist in the same catalog:
so perhaps that was the transition period for the combo tool.
There, two stories in one - my facination for the Victorinox Combo tool for my EDCs and a discovery over 20 years later that I didn't know it at all..........
--
Vincent
http://UnknownVincent.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVT.cjb.net/
I struggle with maintaining the scales. I'll have to try the car polish. I took a fine sand paper on some worn scales and sanded the entire scales. They're dull, but they don't look bad. I'm trying to decide if I could coat them with something..., well that's a different story. thanks
